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Avocado Frozen Yogurt

Yes, you read that right - Avocado frozen yogurt! As they say 'necessity is definitely the mother of invention' or in my case I would say creation! I am glad that I am gradually becoming a cook who thinks of making dishes with what is available in my pantry (unlike before when I used to run between home and the store to grab each ingredient for the recipe I had in mind). I think that's what makes cooking more fun and interesting??

Had two avocados lying in my kitchen store looking at me mercifully - I could feel them yell at me 'Use us or else you gotta throw us in the binsoon'. I was already planning on making strawberry frozen yogurt but then I thought why not try avocado frozen yogurt. Almost ready to kick start my new recipe, I was still a bit skeptical about how the flavours would gel together - rich creamy texture and nutty flavour of avocado with the sourness of yogurt; adding honey for sweetness - it did sound like a healthy version of ice cream to me! Still unsure, I decided to Google and was surprised to find numerous recipes for the same!! I don't have an ice cream maker but I came across David Lebovitz's recipe for making ice cream at home without using a machine and was fascinated by the idea. It seemed pretty easy and now that I have tried it, I can tell you, it indeed is. (As no stabilizers are added, the yogurt has a tendency to freeze further and hardens with time. So it is recommended that you make small batches, as required. Storing left overs may not be a good idea in this case!)

Of course, this post would not be complete unless I mention about the goodness of this amazing fruit! Here are some of the many health benefits of including avocado in your diet (source: greenparenthood.com):

Reducing the bad cholesterol and triglycerides

Regulating blood pressure and preventing circulatory diseases.

High folate content.

Presence of carotenoids promotes the health of our eyes.

Shown to inhibit growth of cancerous cells.

Powerhouse of vitamin E that promotes skin health.

Rich in antioxidants, helps in slowing symptoms of aging.

I am sure that is enough 'food for thought'. Now onto my recipe. My avocados were a bit over ripe so make sure you use good ones in order to get that awesome green colour for your scoop.

Avocado Frozen Yogurt: Recipe

Ingredients:

Ripe Avocado - 2 roughly chopped

Low fat yogurt - 1 1/2 cup

Honey - 1/4 cup

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together to form a smooth mixture.

Pour it into a container (that can withstand the freezer temperature) and then put it in the freezer.

After the first 45 minutes or when you see the sides are beginning to freeze, blend the mixture again. I stirred it vigorously with a spoon. You can also use a hand held blender.

Then put it back in the freezer. Continue this process at regular intervals till you get a good creamy and frozen yogurt consistency. Took me few hours but definitely worth the effort!

@Ramya: When I buy Avocados I look for ripe ones - they are normally blackish green in colour and when you apply slight pressure with your thumb and index finger the flesh succumbs a bit (too much means they are close to rotten). The unripe avocados are bright / dark green. In case you cannot find ripe ones, you can buy the unripe ones and leave it in your store (preferably next to other fruits like bananas) and they will ripe within 3 to 4 days. Hope this helps :)